Selling Printables on Etsy: Step-by-Step Guide For Beginners
If you’re looking for a profitable side hustle that you can start from home with little money and zero tech skills, selling printables on Etsy might just be your golden ticket.
This guide walks you through the entire process, even if you’ve never created a design before in your life.
What Are Printables?
Printables are digital products that buyers download and print at home.
They include things like planners, invitations, coloring pages, wall art, games, and more. Once you create them, you can sell them over and over again—without needing to touch inventory or ship anything.
Why Selling Printables Is a Genius Side Hustle
The beauty of printables is in their passive income potential.
You only need to design the product once, and it can generate income for months (or even years) to come.
You don’t need to be a designer. Tools like Canva make it ridiculously easy to create professional-looking printables with zero experience.
And best of all, Etsy does the heavy lifting—delivering the files automatically to your buyers as soon as they purchase.
Is Selling Printables on Etsy Easy?
Yes, selling printables on Etsy is incredibly beginner-friendly. You can easily design your own printables using a free tool like Canva, or purchase editable templates to customize and resell.
Once your design is ready, just upload it to Etsy. When someone buys your product, Etsy automatically delivers the file, so you never have to send anything manually.
Setting up your Etsy shop is quick. Simply create a free account, choose your shop preferences (like language and currency), and name your shop—you can always change it later.
To get started, add at least one listing, though Etsy recommends 10 listings or more to improve your visibility. Over time, you can keep adding more products to grow your shop.
How Much Can You Realistically Earn?
Your income from selling printables on Etsy depends on several factors like product quality, niche demand, pricing, and marketing—but let’s talk real numbers.
Below is a screenshot of my Etsy store earnings when I used to sell social media templates on the marketplace.
In the beginning, new sellers typically earn between $50 to $500 per month, especially if they’re only offering a few products. As your shop grows and you add more listings, that number can increase significantly.
With 20–30 well-designed listings and basic marketing (like Pinterest or Etsy ads), it’s common to make $1,000 or more per month.
Many part-time sellers report earning $2,000–$5,000 per month, and full-time sellers or those in trending niches can scale even higher—some even reaching six figures annually.
The best part? Printables are a digital product, so once a listing is created, it can sell over and over again without additional effort, making it one of the most scalable and passive income streams online.
What Does It Cost to Start?
The startup cost is under $100, making this one of the lowest-cost side hustles out there.
Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee, a 5% transaction fee, and a small payment processing fee (around 3%).
You can use the free version of Canva to design your printables, and that’s honestly all you need to get started.
No fancy software, no subscriptions, and no printing required.
What Printables Sell Best on Etsy?
There’s no shortage of ideas when it comes to printables.
Some of the best-selling Etsy categories include:
Planners, like monthly budget planners or fitness trackers.
Printable games, like scavenger hunts or bridal shower bingo.
Holiday products, such as Christmas gift tags or Valentine’s cards.
Wall art, bookmarks, habit trackers, labels, stickers, and coloring pages also do really well.
Below, I have created a table of all the popular printables that are being sold on the Etsy marketplace.
| Printable Type | Typical Price Range (USD) |
|---|---|
| Daily Planners | $5 – $10 |
| Weekly Planners | $5 – $12 |
| Monthly Planners | $6 – $15 |
| Budget Planners | $5 – $12 |
| Fitness Trackers | $4 – $10 |
| Meal Planners | $4 – $10 |
| Habit Trackers | $3 – $8 |
| Wedding Invitations | $10 – $25 |
| Save the Date Cards | $8 – $18 |
| Baby Shower Games | $5 – $15 |
| Bridal Shower Games | $5 – $15 |
| Printable Party Decor | $4 – $12 |
| Scavenger Hunts | $3 – $10 |
| Coloring Pages (Kids & Adults) | $2 – $6 |
| Educational Worksheets (Preschool to Grade 3) | $3 – $8 |
| Chore Charts | $3 – $8 |
| Reading Logs | $2 – $6 |
| Calendars (Undated or Dated) | $5 – $12 |
| Wall Art Prints | $5 – $20 |
| Affirmation Cards | $4 – $10 |
| Bible Study Worksheets | $4 – $12 |
| Gratitude Journals | $5 – $15 |
| Mood Trackers | $3 – $7 |
| Digital Stickers | $2 – $8 |
| Printable Labels & Tags | $2 – $6 |
| Gift Coupons / Love Coupons | $3 – $8 |
| Christmas Gift Tags | $2 – $6 |
| Advent Calendars | $4 – $10 |
| Valentine’s Day Cards | $3 – $8 |
| Easter Printables (Games, Cards) | $3 – $10 |
| Halloween Party Printables | $4 – $10 |
| Thanksgiving Placemats | $3 – $7 |
| New Year’s Resolution Planners | $5 – $10 |
| Mother’s/Father’s Day Cards | $3 – $8 |
| Birthday Party Printables | $5 – $15 |
| Banners & Posters | $4 – $10 |
| Clipart & Digital Illustrations | $3 – $15 |
| Resume Templates | $6 – $15 |
| Business Card Templates | $5 – $12 |
| Social Media Templates (IG, Pinterest) | $5 – $20 |
| Invoice / Client Forms | $5 – $15 |
| Etsy Product Mockups | $3 – $12 |
| Printable Games (mazes, puzzles, trivia) | $2 – $8 |
The key is to think about what people need help with—and then design something simple that solves their problem.
How To Start Selling Printables on Etsy (5 Simple Steps)
Let’s break down the process into 5 simple steps.
Step 1: Decide What You Want To Sell
Before you dive into designing, think about what kind of printables you enjoy creating or using.
Do you love organizing? Make planners.
Have kids at home? Try educational worksheets.
Love holidays? Create printable cards or seasonal decor.
If you’re stuck, check out trending items on Etsy or download a free printable trend guide that shows you what sells each month.
This eliminates the guesswork and helps you launch with confidence.
Step 2: Research Your Niche on Etsy
Once you have a few ideas, head over to Etsy and search for similar products.
Type phrases like “printable wedding games” or “monthly habit tracker” and see what pops up.
Look at the number of sales, pricing, and how sellers present their listings.
You’ll notice that long-tail keywords (like “Editable Budget Planner for Moms”) tend to perform better than generic ones like “Planner.”
Pinterest is another goldmine for research. It’s packed with visual inspiration and gives you an idea of what customers are loving right now.
Step 3: Design Your Printable
Now comes the fun part—creating your product.
If you’re brand new, Canva is your best friend. The free version is incredibly powerful and perfect for beginners.
You can also explore tools like Adobe Illustrator, Corjl, Templett, Google Sheets, or Procreate, but start simple.
Don’t worry about being perfect. Your goal is to solve a problem or offer value, not create a masterpiece.
Stick to clean, easy-to-read fonts, good spacing, and clear layout.
Avoid using Canva Pro assets unless you have a license, especially if you plan to sell the design. Always check commercial use guidelines.
Once your design is done, export it as a high-quality PDF, PNG, or JPG. This will be the file you upload to Etsy.
Step 4: Open Your Etsy Shop
Go to Etsy website, scroll down to the bottom and click “Sell on Etsy” to set up your shop.
You’ll choose your shop language, currency, and country, and then pick a shop name.
Try to keep your name relevant to your niche, like “Mom Planner Prints” or “Printables by Emma.” Don’t stress too much—you can change it later if needed.
Now it’s time to create your first listing.
Add a title with good keywords, upload your product images (use mockups to show the printable in use), and write a helpful description.
Mention exactly what the buyer will get—how many pages, what format, whether it’s editable, and how to use it.
Set your price based on what similar products are selling for. Most printables fall between $3 to $15.
Enable automatic renewal, upload your digital files, and hit publish!
Your product is now live and available to millions of Etsy shoppers.
Step 5: Promote and Grow
Just because you’ve listed your product doesn’t mean buyers will instantly find it.
Etsy SEO takes time, but there are ways to speed it up.
Run Etsy ads to boost visibility. Even $1/day can go a long way.
Promote your shop on Pinterest, Instagram, or TikTok, especially if your printables are visual (which they usually are!).
You can even write blog posts or guest posts featuring your products to drive traffic from outside Etsy.
As you add more listings, Etsy sees your shop as more active—which can improve your ranking.
Many successful sellers aim to add at least 1–2 new listings per week, especially in the beginning.
Where Else Can You Sell Printables?
Etsy is the best place to start, but as you grow, you may want to diversify.
Here are a few options:
- Shopify – Great for building your brand and scaling up.
- Amazon Handmade – Taps into a huge buyer base.
- Gumroad – Easy platform for selling digital files directly.
- SendOwl – Ideal for bloggers or creators who want more control.
- WordPress + WooCommerce – Turn your blog into a storefront.
These platforms allow you to create your own customer base and keep more of the profits compared to Etsy.
Final Thoughts
Selling printables on Etsy is hands-down one of the easiest, lowest-risk side hustles you can start today.
You don’t need to be a designer.
You don’t need a warehouse.
And you definitely don’t need to be glued to your screen all day.
All you need is a creative idea, a few hours to learn the ropes, and a free Canva account.
The potential is huge. Whether you want to earn an extra $200/month or build a six-figure digital shop, printables can help you get there.
So what are you waiting for?
Start your Etsy printable side hustle today—and turn your free time into profit.